Doepel Lilly & Taylor’s agents of success

Doepel Lilly & Taylor’s Leigh Hutchinson and Tony Lockyer achieve in real estate and on the park with BFL side Sebastopol.

WITH ‘Burra making playing finals football for the first time in nineteen years, the turnaround in the club’s fortune is clearly a team effort.

Yet all teams need leaders and as it happens a big part of the Sebas leadership team are also real estate agents with Armstrong Street South based Doepel Lilly & Taylor.

The Kookaburras’ coach Leigh Hutchinson has been a sales agent for seven years while club captain, Tony Lockyer, joined the firm three-and-half years ago, with the former credited for his skip’s move into the industry.

“I was a builder,” Mr Lockyer said. “I was looking for a change. I knew Leigh through footy and we got chatting at St Pats one night. He said Doepels were looking for someone and I might be suited. It’s worked out all right.”

You’d think that with the commitments of taking part in top-level Ballarat Football League action it would have an impact in the pair’s ability to be successful professionally, but it’s actually the opposite.

“It’s well within the realms of being able to do both,” Mr Hutchinson said.

“You structure your times around football. It’s probably easier when the footy’s in Ballarat, you can work a bit later through the morning. But when it’s out of town we have good people around – John Morris and our boss Rob Cunningham – who can give us a chop out.”

Management at Doepel Lilly & Taylor are also supportive of the duo’s involvement in the club and the firm has a long history of community involvement and supporting staff in a meaningful work life balance.

“It shows that you’re a real person,” Mr Hutchinson said. “Clients want to deal with people who are respected in the community and there’s no doubt that being involved in community football is one of those ways that you start to feed off others and meet new people.”

The pair of gun agents have a long history outside of their professional duties, having first met up when Mr Hutchinson was a back line coach at the North Ballarat Roosters and Mr Lockyer on the team’s list.

Once the Rooster’s dropped from the VFL, Mr Lockyer returned to what had been his junior club, Sebastopol, and Mr Hutchinson joined as senior coach at the start of the 2018 season.

Mr Lockyer said returning to the ‘Burras was “rewarding.”

“It’s good it’s still the same people there from when I was in juniors,” he said. “My under 15s coach is now the forward line coach with us. It’s familiar and rewarding going back.”

Mr Lockyer and Mr Hutchinson clearly have something special and the result is 2019 marks the first time the ‘Burra have made the post-season in 19 years.

It’s something many pundits tipped back in April, but few saw the club finishing joint first in the race for the minor premiership, and also securing the double chance.

“All the old fellas are just bouncing around at the moment,” Mr Lockyer. “Sebas is probably the only BFL side where you have the whole community down there. We have that whole end of town behind us.”

Mr Hutchinson’s said the achievement brought back great memories.

“It’s exciting for me as a coach,” he said. “It’s been a great feel and a fit for me, I love it down there. It’s a really good family club. I grew up in the Wimmera and clubs back there are all encompassing.

“It takes me back to home a little bit. Everyone’s involved, you have juniors through to netballers, and the support Sebas have is exciting.”